To my knowledge, Singapore Power takes meter readings every other month, and this could have explained the higher initial bill. I trusted in the integrity of the meter reading and billing process. Imagine my surprise on Jan 19 when I received a letter from SP Powergrid informing me that my electricity meter was faulty. My wife and I were concerned. Would they try to pluck some usage figures out of thin air and bill us for the 'free' electricity which we had been using, or would they close one eye on the matter? The letter gave no indication either way.

The next month, our bill skyrocketed. Fair enough, the new meter is working, I thought. I still had faith in the billing process. The reason for this letter is that SP now intends to charge us for the electricity we used based on our consumption in the month of February. If my memory serves me well, February encompasses the Chinese New Year period. During the festive season, we, like many other Chinese couples, invited friends over to celebrate, and would have chalked up a higher-than-average bill in the process. It couldn't have helped that since Jan 2, I work intensively on photo editing software - from home - as part of my internship at a defence news publication. This is in contrast to last year, when my wife and I slogged away in school to finish our school projects and study for our exams. Moreover, we spent almost two weeks on vacation after our exams were over.

SP did not seem in the least concerned that it will profit from the unreliability of its equipment, or the oversight of its staff. No effort was made to discuss the matter with us, only a letter to inform me that they would be charging us $229.10 for the electricity we 'owed' them. It is extremely disappointing that Singapore Power should make us pay for its mistake. I can accept that SP tries to recover a portion of its loss, but at an amount which ensures no overcharging, perhaps half of a month's electricity reading.

Shawn Ang Wei Wen